From out the west, where darkling storm-clouds float, The ‘waking wind pipes soft its rising note.
From out the west, o’erhung with fringes grey, The wind preludes with sighs its roundelay,
Then blowing, singing, piping, laughing loud, It scurries on before the grey storm-cloud;
Across the hollow and along the hill It whips and whirls among the maples, till
With bough upbent, and green of leaves blown wide, The silver shines upon their underside.
A gusty freshening of humid air, With showers laden, and with fragrance rare;
And now a little sprinkle, with a dash Of great cool drops that fall with sudden splash;
Then over field and hollow, grass and grain, The loud, crisp whiteness of the nearing rain.
- E. Pauline Johnson (1862-1913)
This award-winning song captures the excitement and build-up of a summer rainstorm with a vocal line that whips and whirls and a relentless “raindrop” piano accompaniment. The mixed meters make this piece more challenging, but they also give “Rainfall” its great little groove!
“Rainfall” won 3rd place in the 2005 Diana Barnhart American Song Competition.
